Patient controlled intranasal diamorphine provides effective post-operative analgesia, a study has shown. A relatively low incidence of side effects was reported and overall acceptance of the technique was high, the authors say. The results of the study, by Dr F. O'Higgins and colleagues (department of anaesthesia, Royal United hospital, Bath), were presented in a poster at the Pain Society's annual scientific meeting at the University of Warwick on April 3-5.
Forty patients received intranasal diamorphine using a patient controlled device delivering a dose of 0.5mg as a nasal spray, with a lockout period of five minutes. Patients were assessed over a 24 hour period and answered questionnaires about the treatment. Acceptance of the technique was high, the authors say, with 69 per cent of patients and attending nurses giving satisfaction scores of "good" or "complete". Among pain scores, 75 per cent were recorded as no pain or mild pain. The incidence of side effects was relatively low, the authors say. Sedation was mild and infrequent; 53 per cent of patients did not report any nausea and 74 per cent of patients did not vomit. Seven patients withdrew from the study: four with problems with the device and three because of therapeutic failure.
Overall, 90 per cent of patients found the device easy to use and 79 per cent reported that they would be pleased to use the device again.